Coffee and Letters
by jammypanda
Summary: Modern AU. Feliciano Vargas runs a small café in Rome alongside his brother while their grandfather is away. Tourist season is almost over when he meets an interesting German customer looking for his brother and his friends. GerIta w/ Spamano and background pairings. Rated M for later chapters.


_This is my first attempt at Germany/Italy. I've written before but that was a long time ago. Hopefully I've improved since then. Reviews and suggestions are more than welcome._

_Modern AU. Feliciano Vargas runs a small café in Rome alongside his brother while their grandfather is away. Tourist season is almost over when he meets an interesting German customer looking for his brother and his friends._

* * *

_Dearest Grandfather,_

_How are you? I hope you're still as good and healthy as when you left. We're fine here but we miss you._

_To be honest Grandpa, I'm running out of things to write to you. It's been so dull here! We've had no new and interesting customers and the tourist season is almost over! Lovi keeps telling me to stop being stupid and get back to work whenever I bring it up. I hope I meet some new people soon. I bet you never run out of people to talk to. _

_I hope you come home soon. Bring lots of photographs!_

_With love,_

_Feliciano_

_P.S. It's Lovi's birthday soon. He says he doesn't want a party. I think he's lying!_

* * *

Feliciano unwound the piece of paper from his grandfather's old typewriter. He'd been gone for maybe five months now, travelling one last time while his "bones still allowed it", as Grandpa himself had put it.

After folding and setting the letter down, he began sifting through the many drawers of the large and ornate desk he sat at. There had to be at least one envelope in this thing somewhere! He was sure he asked Lovino to buy more! He probably ignored him again. Feliciano sighed heavily. He supposed he'd have to buy more later if he had the time.

Speaking of time, Feliciano turned to the small digital clock on the corner of the desk and yelped when he realised how late it was. He had to open up this morning!

"Loviiiiiiinoooo!" he shouted banging his fists on his brother's bedroom door. "It's almost time to open!"

Feliciano waited for the muffled grunt affirming his brother's waking before jamming on his shoes and making his way down the stairs to the café below them.

* * *

The Vargas family café was the centre of Feliciano's whole world for nearly as long as he could remember. A tiny coffee shop on a tiny street in a big city. The twins came here a long time ago and stayed ever since.

Thankfully, setting up for business didn't take too long, and they opened only slightly later than usual. At least it was a Sunday and not many would notice.

Feliciano wiped his brow after setting out the last outside table. He wasn't nearly as strong as his grandfather, and Lovino still wasn't out of bed to help him. Feliciano figured it was going to be a long morning. The sun seemed much brighter than usual. Most days this would be beautiful weather to be in. Today it made his eyes sting.

"Ve, I guess I've not been sleeping well enough," he wondered as he stepped back inside.

Once tables had been set with clean table clothes, menus and condiments, Feliciano took up his usual place behind the counter, pinning back his fringe with a small clip, slipped his apron on, and waited. It wouldn't be long until the people of the city finished their services at church, and Feliciano would have customers. He never really enjoyed church himself.

He opted to serve himself a small coffee to help wake him up on such a lazy morning. If it wasn't his turn to open up he would be the one having a siesta upstairs while his twin set up.

Even after church ended business was slow. Only a handful of customers had come through the doors and Feliciano was bored. His brother had finally dragged himself downstairs and began the stocktake in the cellar, seeing as it was a quiet morning. Feliciano began swinging on the small chair they kept next to the cash register as he whistled gently. He missed the tinkling of the bell above the café door as a new customer entered, almost falling off his chair in shock when a large and rather imposing man coughed from the other side of the counter, picking himself up just in time to avoid a nasty whack on the head from the counter top.

"Ah excuse me, signor," he laughed as he pushed himself up from the chair towards the man. "How can I help?"

The man looked flustered as he began rifling through the tiny Italian guidebook he most probably bought from an airport. He carried a large suitcase and a map.

"_A tourist,_" Feliciano thought. "_He must be lost._"

The man swallowed and readjusted his glasses. He looked back up from the book to Feliciano, who smiled reassuringly. This only seemed to fluster the man more as he hurried to look away again. He began trying to make his way through some of the standard phrases attempted by most tourists. Feliciano had heard most of them before, though the stranger's pronunciation was terrible. He was still attractive to say the least.

"Pardon me, signor," Feliciano said in English, hoping this would perhaps yield a better conversation. "I also speak English if you'd prefer."

"Oh, thank God," the man sighed as he set down the small book on the counter. "Yes, English is much better, thank you." He looked far more relieved.

Feliciano smiled again, and this time the man smiled back. He seemed grateful of the branch Feliciano had extended.

"I'm glad, signor. How may I help you?"

"I was hoping by any chance if you'd seen my brude- I mean brother? I was supposed to meet him here this morning," His English was far better than his Italian, though he had a thick accent. "He's German, looks similar to me but shorter with much lighter hair. He said he comes here often."

"Eh, I'm not sure I know him. He might mean the other café around the corner, signor."

"Are you sure? I'm certain he told me Vargas Café," the stranger removed his glasses and ran a hand over his slicked back hair, and for the first time Feliciano got a good look at his eyes.

They were bright. Impossibly bright. A blue that Feliciano had never even imagined before, simultaneously bright and deep. The colour was just like water that seemed shallow, but if you were to try taking a dip you'd find yourself up to your chest. Feliciano felt his own chest tighten as he stared into them, taking in the rest of the handsome face. It wasn't until he saw the set of the man's jaw and his brow he put two and two together.

"Yes, signor! I know now! You must mean Gilly!" Feliciano beamed.

"Gilly?!" The man seemed confused. "You mean Gilbert, surely?"

"Yes! Yes! Of course. One moment, signor," Feliciano rushed into the back of the store quickly, before returning with a heavy looking book. The man raised an eyebrow as Feliciano rushed through to the last page, before holding up a picture of a silver haired man smiling with two friends, one blond and the other brown haired. "This is him isn't it?"

"That's him, yes."

"Ah, so you're Gilly's brother, signor. Younger or older?"

"Younger, and please call me Ludwig."

"Like the-?"

"Yes, like the composer," Ludwig sighed as he took a look at the menu on the blackboard beside him. Alas, it was in Italian.

"I suppose you get that a lot," Feliciano reached for an English menu from under the counter, handing it over with a wink. Ludwig took it gratefully. "I'm Feliciano, by the way."

"You have no idea, Feliciano," this time he chuckled. It was soft but noticeable. "I suppose I'll order something while I wait. Can I get a cappuccino for now? I may order something else when he gets here."

"Of course. One moment, Ludwig. If you take a seat I'll bring it over to you." Feliciano readjusted the clip in his hair and got to work with the coffee machine.

Ludwig watched him intently. The café was empty so he opted to sit at the counter. Normally he'd take a corner table but he was intrigued by the warm and welcoming young man serving him. Light hands made little work of assembling the cappuccino and adding the foamed milk, sliding one of those small wrapped biscuits alongside the cup as he placed it on the saucer. Ludwig reached for his wallet but Feliciano stayed his hand.

"This one is on me, as a friend."

"A- a friend?" Ludwig swallowed. "Are you sure? I can pay-"

"A brother of Gilly's is a friend of mine. This one is free, the next you can pay for."

"Only as long as you have one with me," Ludwig scolded himself as he realised what he'd said. What was he getting himself into?

"Ve, I can't possibly while I'm working," Feliciano leaned on the countertop and cocked his head. "Next time, maybe."

It was silent for a moment until Ludwig looked back at him.

"Next time," he repeated, returning the smile Feliciano gave him as a response.

* * *

They talked for a while afterwards. Idle chatter as Feliciano served the next few customers that had finally begun to arrive, though not many.

"I imagined you'd be much busier," Ludwig observed as another couple left the café.

"Tourist season is nearly over. It'll get quiet for a while but pick up again soon. There are other, bigger café's around anyway." Feliciano looked a little sad at that last note.

"But not necessarily better," Ludwig felt himself say. "This is the best coffee I've had since I arrived here." It was Feliciano's turn to smile shyly.

"Thank you. Your brother and his friends told me the same when they came here too."

"They're idiots, but they do have taste."

Feliciano laughed at that. He cheered up almost as soon as he began to frown it seemed, Ludwig thought as he felt a buzz coming from his jacket pocket.

"Excuse me," he stepped outside as he took the call.

Feliciano watched out the window as Ludwig frowned, his brow furrowed. He appeared to be annoyed with the caller. He gave a final sigh as he hung up, stepping back into the café.

"That was my brother. He wants to meet me at the nearest square. He said you'd know the way."

"Ah, yes. The Piazza di Spagna. I'd go with you but... Hold on!" Feliciano once again disappeared to the back of the café, leaving the German confused, where his brother was finishing with stock and about to join him at the counter.

"What do you want know?" he asked, surly as ever on a Sunday.

"Lovino, fratello, would you mind watching the café on your own for half an hour. I have somewhere to be."

"No way, I'm not picking up your shift alone, idiot."

"But I'm helping a friend, and we need more milk and eggs upstairs. I need to go to the post office too."

"That'll take longer than half an hour!"

"Please."

"No."

"Pretty please."

"No!"

"You can get Antonio to help."

"Definitely not!"

Feliciano sighed. Lovino was turned away; obviously annoyed the Spaniard was brought up.

"I'll do your laundry all this week."

"Take up my next two mornings and you're on."

"That's not fair!"

"The offers on the table, Feli. No less."

"Fine! I won't be long." Feliciano rushed upstairs for a jacket and his letter.

"You better not be," Lovino called after him, reaching for his phone to call Antonio. "This better be worth it."

In a matter of minutes, Feliciano was back down stairs and ready to go.

"I'll be your guide this morning, signor," He smiled, cocking his head once more.

"Is everything alright? I heard shouting back there," Ludwig looked concerned, turning to look at the scowling brother of the Italian directly in front of him.

"Yes it's fine. Let's go already!" Feliciano pulled at Ludwig's arm, dragging him out of the door, as Ludwig struggled to pick up his suitcase.

"One moment, please!"

"No time to waste!"

Lovino held his head in his hands as he watched them leave.

"This _really _better be worth it."

* * *

_Dearest Grandfather,_

_I've finally met someone interesting this season! I might not end up so bored after all!_


End file.
